The present invention relates generally to the field of infant care equipment and more specifically to the field of apparatus for helping to stabilize an infant while standing.
In a variety of situations, once some infants begin to develop an ability to stand, these infants also develop a preference for standing over either sitting or lying down. Despite the inability to stand unaided, or the inability to stand aided for an extended time, these infants will exhibit a behavior wherein continued expression of this preference results in eventually falling to the ground. This behavior is particularly worrisome to caregivers attempting, for example, to bathe such infants in a bathtub or shower, to dress such infants, or simply to prevent such infants from walking or crawling away when caregiver attention is directed elsewhere.
Opportunities exist, therefore, to develop an apparatus which: provides a handhold, stably coupled to a grounded surface, to aid in standing; allows the infant to be largely self-supporting to help develop strength and balance; prevents the infant from striking the ground if attempts at standing should fail; and allows access to the infant by caregivers.